As I sit at home, less than a month after coming home for summer break, I'm bored. I don't start work for another few weeks, which will then be a full-time job to fill my day, and my friends from college aren't close enough to visit that often. That leaves me sleeping in until the afternoon, spending more time on my bed than anywhere else.
Don't get me wrong. It's nice to be able to relax with no thoughts of finals, if I have enough meals left to get lunch or having to get up for classes, but I do miss it. A lot of people, mainly adults, seem to think the only thing we miss about college is hanging out, and while I do miss that, it's not the only thing. With a major I thoroughly enjoy at a school with friends I call my family, I can't wait to go back.
The atmosphere of college itself is just something that can't be replicated at home. I was asked recently if I even missed homework, and I had to think about it for a little while. I don't have the fondest memories of sitting in the library cages until 2 a.m., but yes, I do miss homework.
The thing about college that makes it completely different from high school is that although we have to take general classes to graduate, once we pick a major, just about every class we take is interesting because we chose that major and those classes. The homework I have to do is work that interests me and work I can imagine doing for the rest of my life.
As I sit at home, not even able to be engaged in a lesson for class, it takes a toll. Not only that though, but I feel like there's so much I could be doing in this spare time that I'm unable to. I can't work until the camp I work at starts for the summer, so I'm in an in-between state of doing nothing and wanting to do something.
The first week was the hardest, and it's gotten progressively easier, but I've found that creative outlets are the best way for me to not be bored out of my mind. I started out watching TV, starting shows I'd been recommended months ago and catching up on series I used to watch when I was at home. It was nice to watch TV, as it's something I rarely did at school, but even that got tiring after a while.
Next, I went to the library to find a book to read. It's been an embarrassingly long time since I read a book that I didn't have to analyze, and you'd be surprised how difficult it is to read a book without needing to annotate or figure out "the big picture" and main characters for a test in the near future. I got the book a few days ago and am nowhere near done because there's something about the lack of a deadline that makes it difficult.
Another way I'm passing time is by watching movies. I went through Netflix and made a list of movies that either look interesting or I've been meaning to watch, and I try to watch one a day. I've found that to be the most fun. Bear in mind that not every movie is on Netflix. Some I had to find online, and others were on demand, but regardless of how you watch it, a movie is a movie. Here's my list so far:
1. "Begin Again"
2. "Juno"
3. "Boyhood"
4. "Forrest Gump"
5. "Dope"
6. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"
7. "Stuck in Love"
8. "Inside Out"
9. "Deadpool"
10. "Paper Towns"
Aside from movies, I've been listening to a lot of music. If you don't have Spotify, download it immediately. I don't pay for it, and I'm OK with it. I started following some of my friends and making playlists, and it's always enjoyable to explore and discover new music.
In conclusion, summer is going to be a long three and a half months. Obviously you should spend some time with your family and friends if you can, but take some time for yourself. If you lived on campus last year, chances are you didn't have a lot of alone time, and while I enjoyed being with my friends, it's nice to be home and alone, even if I do miss my classes. Surviving summer isn't easy, and it won't always be fun, but you can make it more enjoyable.
